Cac header with reduced overhang

ABSTRACT

A head collecting tank for a tubular heat exchanger of a motor vehicle having an inner end in the form of a right parallelogram, on which is secured across a sealing element, a tube panel for mounting and securing of one of the lengthwise ends of a bundle of tubes of the heat exchanger. The tube panel is formed by a frame part with a set of mutually parallel braces having in cross section the shape of the letter U and passing into the frame part, which also has in cross section the shape of the letter U with an elongated arm on the side away from the braces.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Czech Republic Patent Application Serial No. PV 2012-317 filed on May 14, 2012, hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a head collecting tank, designed especially for the tubular heat exchanger of a motor vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. From document U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2011/0168364 A1, a heat exchanger is known consisting of a tubular heat exchanging part, connected by each of its ends to a tube panel, each of which is fastened to one head collecting tank. Each head collecting tank is provided with an inner end in the form of a right parallelogram, on which the tube panel is secured across a sealing element. The tube panel is formed by a frame part with a set of mutually parallel braces, having in cross section the shape of the letter U and passing at their ends into the frame part, which also has the shape of the letter U in cross section with an elongated arm at the side away from the braces.

The drawback of this known design of a head collecting tank and its tube panel, intended for the heat exchangers of motor vehicles, is that its connecting parts are not adapted in shape to each other so that there is no loss of tightness. Also, leakage of the liquid flowing through the heat exchanger occurs by interacting with the sealing element between them.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned drawbacks are eliminated to a considerable degree by a head collecting tank designed especially for the tubular heat exchanger of a motor vehicle, provided with an inner end in the form of a right parallelogram, on which is secured across a sealing element a tube panel, for mounting and securing of one of the lengthwise ends of a bundle of tubes of the exchanger, formed by a frame part with a set of mutually parallel braces having in cross section the shape of the letter U and passing into the frame part, which also has in cross section the shape of the letter U with an elongated arm on the side away from the braces, according to this invention, whose essence lies in the fact that the thickness of the wall of each brace of the tube panel, bounding longitudinally the space for one of the longitudinal ends of the tube bundle of the exchanger, is larger than the thickness of the wall of the frame part of the tube panel transversely bounding the space for one of the longitudinal ends of the tube bundle of the exchanger, and the inner end of the head collecting tank has projections on its two opposite facing inner walls projecting beyond its outer edge and each one arranged opposite each transition of the longitudinal cavity of the brace to the cavity of the frame part.

Another embodiment of the invention is that the frame part has both of its parallel inner walls, parallel to the braces, provided with at least two creases to form ribs, and the tube panel has the elongated outer arms of its frame part provided, along the entire circumference and in one plane parallel with the peripheral edge, with a series of openings for clamping by forming excess material left above them into a shoulder on the head collecting tank when the tube panel is joined to the head collecting tank.

An additional embodiment of the invention is that the frame part and the braces have lines drawn through the bottoms in their lowest places situated in the same plane, while the frame part has a vertical distance between its arms, in the region of their transition to the curved part, equal to the diameter of the sealing element.

An additional embodiment of the invention is that the wall of the frame part bounding the space formed between two braces for one of the longitudinal ends of the tube bundle of the exchanger has its height, measured from its highest edge to its transition into the curved part, greater than half the diameter of the sealing element.

A particular embodiment of the design of the head collecting tank is that it prevents a loss of tightness thanks to uniform deformation of the sealing element in the bounded space and thanks to elimination of free play between the edge of the inner end of the head collecting tank and the frame part of the tube panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A sample embodiment of the head collecting tank according to this invention is shown in the appended drawings, where:

FIG. 1 illustrates a heat exchanger having a head collecting tank with a tube panel arranged on both sides of the tube bundle;

FIG. 2 is an axonometric view of the tube panel on the side with the head collecting tank;

FIG. 3 is an axonometric view of a cross section of the tube panel through the middle of the space bounded by two neighboring braces;

FIG. 4 is an axonometric view of a cross section of the tube panel through the bottom of one of its braces, with a sealing element placed in its frame part;

FIG. 5 is a view of part of the tube panel on the side with the head collecting tank with three creases for forming ribs on the inner side of the shorter frame part; and

FIG. 6 is a cross section of the connection of the tube panel to the head collecting tank at the site of formation of a projection extending on the inner side of the head collecting tank beyond its outer edge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description and appended drawings describe and illustrate various exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description and drawings serve to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner.

FIG. 1 shows a tubular heat exchanger for a motor vehicle, whose tubular body is joined at both of its opposite ends across a tube panel 4 to a head collecting tank 1.

The tube panel 4 (see FIG. 2) is formed by an extruded metal piece, having a rectangular frame part 5 with a set of mutually parallel braces 6, having in cross section the shape of the letter U and passing into the frame part 5, which also has in cross section the shape of the letter U with an elongated arm on the side away from the braces 6. The elongated arms of the frame part 5 are provided, along the entire circumference and in one plane parallel with the peripheral edge, with a series of openings 9 for clamping by forming excess material left above them into a shoulder on the head collecting tank 1 when the tube panel 4 is joined to the head collecting tank 1 (see FIG. 6). For sealing purposes, a sealing element 3 having a circular profile in cross section in the present example (see FIG. 4) is placed on the bottom of the frame part 5.

The thickness of the wall of each brace 6, bounding longitudinally the space for one of the longitudinal ends of the tube bundle of the exchanger, is larger than the thickness of the wall of the frame part 5 transversely bounding the space for one of the longitudinal ends of the tube bundle of the exchanger. The inner end 2 of the head collecting tank 1 has projections 7 on its two opposite facing inner walls (see FIG. 6) extending beyond its outer edge and each one arranged opposite each transition of the longitudinal cavity of the brace 6 to the cavity of the frame part 5. These projections 7 stabilize the sealing element 3 in the desired space between the tube panel 4 and the head collecting tank 1 while enabling a precise delimiting of the position of the tube panel 4 on the inner end 2 of the head collecting tank 1, The frame part 5 (see FIG. 5) has both of its inner walls, parallel to the braces 6, provided with at least two creases to form ribs 8 for a better and more compact joining of the tubular body of the exchanger to the frame part 5.

The frame part 5 and the braces 6 have lines drawn through the bottoms in their lowest places situated in the same plane. Moreover, the frame part 5 has a vertical distance between its arms, in the region of their transition to the curved part, equal to the diameter of the sealing element 3, while the wall of the frame part 5 bounding the space formed between two braces 6 for one of the longitudinal ends of the tube bundle of the exchanger has its height, measured from its highest edge to its transition into the curved part, greater than half the diameter of the sealing element 3 (see FIG. 3).

From the foregoing description, one ordinarily skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS USED

-   1. head collecting tank -   2. inner end (of head collecting tank) -   3. sealing element -   4. tube panel -   5. frame part (of tube panel) -   6. brace (in tube panel) -   7. projection -   8. rib -   9. opening 

What is claimed is:
 1. A tube panel of a head collecting tank for a tubular heat exchanger of a motor vehicle, comprising: a frame part having an inner wall, an outer peripheral wall, and a bottom; and a plurality of braces integrally formed with the frame part and having a pair of walls extending laterally outwardly therefrom, the plurality of braces and the frame part cooperating to form a plurality of spaces configured to secure a plurality of tubes of the tubular heat exchanger therein, and wherein a thickness of the pair of walls of the braces is greater than a thickness of the inner wall of the frame part bounding the plurality of spaces.
 2. The tube panel of claim 1, wherein the inner wall, the outer peripheral wall, and the bottom of the frame part form a substantially u-shaped cross-section of the frame part.
 3. The tube panel of claim 2, wherein the bottom of the frame part has an arcuate shape and further comprises a transition formed intermediate the inner wall and the bottom of the frame part.
 4. The tube panel of claim 1, wherein the frame part is rectangular and the plurality of braces extends between opposing sides of the frame part and are substantially parallel to each other.
 5. The tube panel of claim 1, wherein the braces have a substantially u-shaped cross section.
 6. The tube panel of claim 1, further comprising a sealing element having a circular cross-section disposed adjacent the bottom of the frame part.
 7. The tube panel of claim 6, wherein a distance between the inner wall and the outer peripheral wall of the frame part is substantially equal to a diameter of the sealing element and a height of the inner wall bounding each of the plurality of spaces is greater than one half of the diameter of the sealing element.
 8. The tube panel of claim 1, wherein the inner wall of the frame part has at least two creases forming at least one rib, the at least one rib configured to facilitate joining the tubular heat exchanger to the frame part of the tube panel.
 9. The tube panel of claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral wall has a plurality of openings formed thereon, the plurality of openings facilitating clamping the tube panel to the head collecting tank.
 10. A head collecting tank for a tubular heat exchanger of a motor vehicle, comprising: an inner end configured to be joined with the tubular heat exchanger; a tube panel disposed on the inner end and having a frame part with an inner wall, an outer peripheral wall, and a bottom, a plurality of braces integrally formed with the frame part and having a pair of walls extending laterally outwardly therefrom, the plurality of braces and the frame part cooperating to form a plurality of spaces configured to secure a plurality of tubes of the tubular heat exchanger therein; a sealing element disposed intermediate the frame part and the inner end; and a projection disposed on the inner end and extending outwardly therefrom, the projection configured to facilitate stabilization of the sealing element.
 11. The head collecting tank of claim 10, wherein the sealing element has a circular cross-section.
 12. The head collecting tank of claim 11, wherein a distance between the inner wall and the outer peripheral wall of the frame part is substantially equal to a diameter of the sealing element and a height of the inner wall bounding each of the plurality of spaces is greater than one half of the diameter of the sealing element.
 13. The head collecting tank of claim 10, wherein the inner wall, the outer peripheral wall, and the bottom of the frame part form a substantially u-shaped cross-section.
 14. The head collecting tank of claim 10, wherein the frame part is rectangular and the plurality of braces extends between opposing sides of the frame part and are substantially parallel to each other.
 15. The head collecting tank of claim 10, wherein the inner wall of the frame part has at least two creases forming at least one rib, the at least one rib configured to facilitate joining the tubular heat exchanger to the frame part of the tube panel.
 16. The head collecting tank of claim 10, wherein the outer peripheral wall has a plurality of openings formed thereon, the plurality of openings facilitating clamping the tube panel to the head collecting tank.
 17. The head collecting tank of claim 10, wherein the inner end has a shoulder integrally formed thereon, the shoulder is configured to facilitate stabilization of the sealing element.
 18. The head collecting tank of claim 10, wherein the bottom of the frame part has an arcuate shape and further comprises a transition formed intermediate the inner wall and the bottom of the frame part.
 19. The head collecting tank of claim 10, wherein a thickness of the pair of walls of the braces is greater than a thickness of the inner wall of the frame part bounding the plurality of spaces. 